The present disclosure relates to building construction connectors incorporating fasteners; for example, a joist hanger with nails affixed to the joist hanger.
Frame construction is a method of constructing buildings. Frame construction provides a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings, floors, roofs, and ceilings are attached. Frame construction is based around various structural members including, studs, joists, headers, beams, plywood, or other structural members. The structural members are joined together to create the frame. The structural members can be made of wood, laminates, metal, or other materials.
The structural members of a frame construction can been joined using nails, screws, bolts, or other fasteners. FIG. 1 depicts a frame construction 100. The frame construction 100 can be used to create a wall in a building. The frame construction 100 consists of a stud 110, additional studs 120, a header 130, and a sole plate 140. The stud 110 and the header 130 meet at the joint 150. The structural integrity of the frame construction 100 is dependent upon the strength of the joint 150 as well as other joints. The stronger the joint 150 is, the strong frame construction 100 is. The stud 1 10 and the header 130 can be joined using nails. A nail 160 can be pushed or hammered through the stud 110 and the header 130 to form a rigidly fixed connection to the joint 150. Multiple nails can be hammered through a joint to reinforce the connection. Likewise, other structural members can be joined using nails. Other types of fasteners, such as screws or bolts can also be used.
During the assembly of a frame construction, construction workers hold the various structural members in place while nails are used to form the joints. For example, to form the joint 150, one worker would hold the stud 110 against the header 130, and would place the nail 160 against the stud 110 with one hand and strike the nail 160 with the other hand. Alternatively, another construction worker can use a pneumatic nail gun to insert the nail 160 to form the joint 150. Thus forming a single joint can require the labor of two constructions workers at a time.
More recently, frame constructions are reinforced or supplemented using metal construction connectors. As shown in FIGS. 2A-6B, a strap tie 200, a lateral tie plate 300, a seismic-hurricane tie 400, a joist hanger 500, and an angle plate 600 are examples of construction connectors. Construction connectors can be used to form the joints between structural members of a frame construction or to connect smaller sections of a frame construction to make a larger frame construction or for structural values. For example, construction connectors can be used to connect a roof to walls of a building or to connect the walls to a foundation or floor of a building, or walls to upper floors. Construction connectors can be made out of metal or other materials.
Construction connectors provide structural advantages for frame construction using only nails or screws. Construction connectors enhance stiffness and sturdiness of a frame construction. Construction connectors also improve the accuracy of the construction because structural members are less likely to move during assembly. Construction connectors also reduce the likelihood that a structural member will be split during assembly and need to be replaced. Presently, pneumatic nail guns are not compatible with the use of construction connectors.
During the assembly of a frame construction using construction connectors, a construction worker holds a construction connector against a first structural member while loose nails or screws are used to fasten the construction connector against a structural member. Then the construction workers holds the fastened construction connector, with the first structural member attached, against a second structural member and aligns the two structural members. Building regulations specify different fasteners depending on the type of connector, the load that connection is required to support, i.e. its load rating, and the type of connection. The construction worker then locates the correct nail or fastener for that connection and, using the construction worker's other hand, the construction worker drives the fastener through the openings in the connector and into the structural members. Various apparatuses can also be used to hold the structural members and the construction connector in place while a single construction worker connects them. But the apparatuses require time to setup. Some pneumatic equipment is available to apply the fasteners using the construction connectors, but they do not perform reliably and require additional equipment and infrastructure to work.